


Letting Her Go

by veroniquemagique



Category: Grace and Frankie (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Jay and I have been crying over this so YOU WILL TOO
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-08
Updated: 2017-04-08
Packaged: 2018-10-16 10:25:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10569387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/veroniquemagique/pseuds/veroniquemagique
Summary: After Grace urges Frankie to go be happy in Santa Fe, she comes to realize how hard it is to let someone you love go.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TooBookishToHandle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TooBookishToHandle/gifts).



It had barely been two weeks, and Grace Hanson was tired. She had told her to leave, to go be happy without her, but she couldn’t have possibly anticipated just how much it would hurt not to have her around. She wasn’t used to such an overwhelming confrontation from her emotions – some which she had no name for and still couldn’t understand completely – and it left her empty and lost.

Normally, when confronted with unwanted feelings, Grace would reach for her martini glass, but she couldn’t even bring herself to do that. Since she had made herself open up, be a better person who tries to deal with her feelings instead of burying them deep, vodka didn’t feel much like her friend anymore. Not that anyone would want to be friends with such a cranky, selfish old woman anyways, right?

She thinks that’s why she let her go – to try to move on from that person that only did things because she wanted to. She let her go because she wanted her to be happy and truly enjoy life, and that’s what you do when you really care about someone, right? A real friend wouldn’t keep her from her love just because she wanted her to stay. You know what they say about “if you love someone”.

Grace hadn’t realized just how much she did, until she was gone. She had overlooked it, blown it off as something else, but now that she was alone in that big, empty house, she couldn’t deny it. Her feelings were too much for a roommate, for a friend – even a best friend. That’s why she was hurting so much, but it was also why she couldn’t possibly have asked her to stay.

It was getting to the point that even the kids were getting concerned about her. Frankie had tried to call her, tried to Skype, but she wouldn’t answer – she couldn’t. It hurt too much to see her off having fun and enjoying life with someone else. Brianna had even come over to try to get her to talk to Frankie, and Mallory kept asking her if she was eating enough and getting enough sleep when she noticed the circles under Grace’s eyes that she didn’t even bother trying to hide. That’s why she had recused herself to the beach house – their house – she didn’t want to admit to anyone, much less herself, what she was feeling.

It was almost a month after she had packed up and left that Grace decided that she couldn’t deal with the hurting anymore. She couldn’t deal with Frankie being hundreds of miles away, not without knowing how she felt at least. So when she got up extra early one morning, she got dressed and got right in the car without a thought – she knew where she was going and nothing was stopping her. Not even the guilt she felt for disturbing her new life, for being selfish and wanting her back. Was it really so selfish to want to be happy too?

It was a long drive, and Grace had so many opportunities to turn around and let things be, but she had made up her mind and there was no changing it now. It was almost dark by the time she pulled up on the address Frankie had given her, and she could see a light on in the front of the house. She imagined they were having dinner, given the time. As she got out of the car and let the door slam shut behind her, she heard the lock click on the front door.

Before she could even make it half way to the house, Grace stopped in her tracks at the sight of Frankie and Jacob behind the opening door.

“Grace? What are you doing here?” Frankie asked, moving down the steps away from Jacob to meet her. They stood a foot or so apart – barely within reach – when Grace really took in the sight of the face and the person she had missed so much.

“I-I…” Grace tried to speak, but instead she was overwhelmed by tears. She held herself so tightly as she began to sob, which only made Frankie more concerned. She took a step forward and reached out to touch Grace’s arm.

“I love you, Frankie,” Grace whispered after a moment of crying and a deep, deep breath. “Sometimes too much, and I can’t… I can’t keep denying myself that.”

“Grace…” Frankie sighed.

“I’m sorry… I tried to just let you go, to let you be happy, even if that wasn’t with me – but I can’t do it. I’m too old to play these games with myself,” Grace continued. She rubbed the tears away from her face, but they only kept coming. Frankie was silent for a moment, and Grace could see in her face that she was trying to process all of the emotions that Grace had just dropped on her.

“Why didn’t you say something before?” Frankie finally responded, in a low whisper. “Why didn’t you tell me how you felt?”

“How could I have? I didn’t even understand it! I wasn’t supposed to be in love with you!” Grace bit her lip and tried to steady herself.

“I wouldn’t have left,” Frankie said quietly.

Grace glanced back at Jacob, who seemed to be growing increasingly frustrated. “I thought I couldn’t hold you back from being with someone you love.”

Frankie shook her head. “The only person I love that you did that to was yourself.”

“I’m so sorry, Frankie…” Grace sighed. “I don’t think I can do this alone anymore.”

“I’m not going to let you,” Frankie smiled sadly, “if you’ll let me back in.”

Grace laughed, then finally did what she had been thinking of for months. She closed the gap between them, took Frankie’s face into her hands and kissed her. She kissed her, and all the pent up emotions that she had been trying to hold back came with it. Frankie was no fool, and she kissed her back just as deeply, trying as hard as she could to show Grace that she felt the same way back, and just as strongly. It had been so long coming between them that neither wanted it to end, and it felt like they held each other there for an eternity before they fell back for air.

“Frankie, please come home,” Grace pleaded, tears flowing freely down her face yet again. Frankie nodded, her own eyes starting to water as she held on to Grace.

“I will,” Frankie agreed. She pulled Grace in and kissed her again, and in that moment, Grace realized she could finally have a shot at happiness, after 73 years of not knowing what that was like.

**Author's Note:**

> As much as I would like a cute, happy resolution to the Santa Fe/Jacob thing, part of me wants to see something like this happen. Frankie leaves, Grace realizes she's in love with her, goes to get her girl and ask her to come home - I MEAN COME ON it would break our hearts but then it would be so beautiful.


End file.
